(3 Minutes Read)
Ghana launched 5 megawatts of West Africa’s largest floating solar photovoltaic plant. Bui Power Authority (BPA) completed the project on the Bui reservoir. The project is part of a hybrid plant that uses solar and hydro resources to generate and supply power to the national grid. Ghana has launched West Africa’s largest 5MW floating solar PV plant on the Bui reservoir, integrating solar and hydro resources for energy generation.
The floating solar power plant is innovative in using photovoltaic modules on water infrastructure, to conserve land and increase the module’s efficiency. Additionally, the water is also conserved due to a reduction in evaporation from the water body. The 5 MW Floating Solar plant is also part of the successful implementation of the Bui Hydro-Solar Hybrid (HSH) system, a significant milestone for Ghana within the West African sub-region, stated the BPA.
This innovative system, in addition to the already existing 50 MWp land-based solar farm, is said to be the largest farm so far in Ghana. The combined generation from 404 MW hydro plant and 55MWp solar plants, further advances the region’s renewable energy capabilities. Ghana’s energy demand of 600 MW plus, the project is merely a drop in the ocean.
The completion of the project will help Ghana deliver on the promise of its National Energy Plan to increase the penetration of renewable energy in the energy mix by 10% by 2030. In addition, the project will help Ghana move away from fossil fuels and toward its objective of producing 10% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. The country plans to deploy around 150 GW of solar PV capacity by 2060 to achieve its net zero emissions target, representing USD 550 billion in investment opportunities for companies and other nations.
This initiative reinforces Ghana’s commitment to supporting clean energy, specifically Sustainable Development Goal 7 of the United Nations. The water’s cooling properties help PV cells produce electricity with a consistent temperature coefficient and high efficiency. The efficiency of floating photovoltaics rises as a result of the water beneath the panel surface acting as some insulation against outside heat. Floating PV has a higher efficiency of 15% than normal PV. It produces power through absorption from the sunlight and reflection of light from the water beneath through the albedo effect.
Ghana currently has a very high energy access rate of over 80%. Solar PV systems are ideal for communities that are difficult to connect to the grid due to accessibility issues. Solar systems are also a very important option for those looking for affordable alternatives to the sometimes-erratic power supply of the electric grid. Implementation of an effective net-metering regime will accelerate household adoption of solar PV systems. Corporate and industrial consumers of electricity can use solar PV systems to both reduce their energy costs while increasing electricity availability.
Read Also:
https://trendsnafrica.com/world-bank-to-release-usd-260-mn-for-ghanas-energy-sector-recovery/
The project is economically viable because, compared to an equivalent solar capacity on land, it will produce an efficient energy output because of its cooling nature. Deploying a hybrid solar system is one of the key technologies to solve intermittent solar issues. It can improve power stability and reliability by stabilising the reservoir water level. Performance on water is challenging compared to on land.
